Discovery Flight Hangover?
Posted by WeekendHasLanded@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 18 comments
Went for my intro flight a few days ago and I’m still processing the after effects. I wasn’t particularly nervous, in fact I had an absolute blast up there, although it really was a firehose of information and I was claw gripping that yoke when they handed me the controls. It was a totally surreal and unique experience and I wanted to go back for more as soon as we logged that first half hour.
Now, one of my main concerns before going in was nausea or motion sickness, which thankfully didn’t happen during the flight at all.… however, after we were done I drove away and went to work out, slowly noticing that I was TOTALLY WIPED of energy and generally feeling like my brain was fried. The nausea didn’t start until about 45 minutes later, and it lasted for hours after, and way into the night. It felt like a hangover that came in waves.
Is this at all normal? Has anyone had a weird delayed effect happen to them? I really want to go back but it took more out of me than I expected. Is it something that gets better with time and acclimation? I’m in my 30’s so it’s already a bit late and idk if it could be an age thing. Any advice?
Beautiful-Low9454@reddit
Totally normal sensory overload
draggingmytail@reddit
I’m 160 hrs in and working on my instrument ticket. I have had flights where I’m so overloaded I get home and just stare at a wall for an hour and feel mentally exhausted and hungover for 1-2 days.
Antique-Kitchen-1896@reddit
Tired after? Yes but the good sort.
Your description of the lengthy effect is concerning as it sounds somewhat like Carbon Monoxide.
Logical_Basis_3643@reddit
Yeah completely normal. Just keep going and fly frequently. I got motion sick like 10-15 mins into my first several flights and it basically wiped me out the entire day. Im at 10 hours now and haven’t gotten sick at all in my last 4 flights and 3 of those were over an hour and very bumpy. I would buy a few puke bags and keep them easily accessible during the flight even though you didn’t get sick during the actual flying this time. With me I felt perfectly fine then 30 seconds later I was throwing up so you never know.
Herzl1948@reddit
There is no fatigue quite like a hot 1.5 hour lesson in a stuffy smelly old airplane. I instructed for years and at the end of a full day i would feel like i get hit by a truck. Headache and exhaustion like nothing else. Popping two Advil in the car on my way home was an almost day occurrence. You do get used to it to a degree but there is a lot of energy that goes into flight training. First the actually process of getting the plane out and completing a preflight can be quite labour intensive. Then the combo of adrenaline and concentration it requires to fly drain your brain power. Good sleep, hydration, and nutrition will all help you adjust.
Kemerd@reddit
Totally normal. First, you probably did get a bit of an adrenaline spike. It’s totally normal. This is likely the main source of fatigue.
Second, at altitude you have less oxygen, so you work harder for it. You will adjust to it with time.
Third, like a long car ride, your body does micro compensation for all the movements, and can cause fatigue.
Fourth, when I was doing my initial flights, I got pretty severe nausea. Completely went away once I was handed the controls, and in control of the aircraft. It all melts away for me when I’m the one flying.
Finally, when flying, make sure you’re hydrated, well fed, and well rested! There will always be a slight body toll but it gets less extreme over time.. until you decide to do aerobatics..
_-Cleon-_@reddit
IMHO it's just probably just the aftereffect of stress. Flying (especially for the first time) takes a lot of mental and physical energy, and gripping the yoke like that is going to add to the physical stress level. (Don't sweat it, most of us do that at first.)
Another thing is that it might be dehydration - drink a bunch of water after you get back on the ground, you probably sweated a fair bit of it out.
If you're still having issues after a couple weeks of lessons, you might want to talk to a doctorologist or something, which I most assuredly am not.
fighting_gopher@reddit
I used to get that way too. Cross countries during training would wipe me out…then I become a flight instructor and would do a couple xc’s in a day or couple local flights and a xc. It gets easier the more you fly and more “routine”.
I wouldn’t make your decision on you being wiped out after.
makgross@reddit
Thats an adrenaline crash. Yes, it can happen. It’s not anything to worry about, but you probably should account for it in your plans for your day. It will most likely lessen with time.
fan_flan@reddit
I used to get like that after my flights in my first ~80 hours, I think that over time it is something that goes away as you get more comfortable flying. Unsure if it was worse due to age though as I was never wiped out for multiple hours.
SemiProFakeCarDriver@reddit
Same! I am at \~120 hours now, and still can end up pretty tired if the conditions aren't great or something is taking my attention more than normal.
My solution is to schedule in post-flight naps.
StageMajestic613@reddit
Yep, i’m 54 YO and about 20 hours and 1.5 hours of pattern work is draining and yesterday felt a little queasy for several hours after. I do wear a Relief Band and this thing works great for me as I’m very prone to motion sickness.
https://www.sportys.com/reliefband-sport.html
Cross country is relaxing so far. It’s the high mental load and bumpiness of continuous patterns that can be draining, but you also feel good afterwards in an accomplishment sort of way.
ma33a@reddit
Yup learning to fly is exhausting, mentally and physically. As you get better you pick up free brain space which reduces the mental load making it less tiring over time. But if you do a session that pushes you to your limits you will find the same level of fatigue set in. As you progress you will be able to fly for longer in more complex environments before you hit the same wall.
Being at altitude for the first time can also cause issues until your body adapts, even being above 3,000ft can lead to small but noticeable issues until you get used to it, not to mention how draining going to 10,000ft can be.
This applies to commercial pilots as well, even with decades of experience there are some days that can wipe you out, multiple sectors, bad weather, technical issues, unusual times of the day, long days, all add up.
Galactic_Dolphin@reddit
Not sure where you’re located but make sure to hydrate well before and after the flight and make sure to eat before as well. Being in a hot noisy vibrating cockpit will definitely dehydrate you and taking care of your body will help you feel less exhausted afterwards.
ApoTHICCary@reddit
Yeah, pretty common. Flying is quite mentally tasking and overloads your senses. You’ll have a few of those moments as you train. It’s stupid hot and humid where I fly, so that can also get to you a bit, too. Doing touch n goes for 2hrs or more can be fatiguing. Night flight emergency procedures also got me, along with hashing out recoveries. Surprisingly, solo cross countries were fine minus the heat.
It will get better as you fly, then you’ll feel it again during more demanding portions of your training, then feel much better with routine flying, only to have it happen again with the next hard session. Hydrate, get a good nights rest, and review your lesson the day before so you know better what to expect.
MultiMillionMiler@reddit
I'm approaching 30 hours and feel the same way after a 1.5 hour lesson even when it goes very well. Flying burnout happens unusually fast, in fact my CFI said that practicing beyond that long isn't even productive as most student hit their endurance limit and start losing mental energy/focus from the multi-tasking exhaustion. Flying is fully immersive, using both hand, both feet, talking on the radio, the constant blasting of the propeller in front of you..etc. That is totally normal and you'll likely get that even beyond halfway through PPL training. Learning curve is much more gradual with this compared to other skills.
TheJohnRocker@reddit
Sounds like sensory overload / over stimulation or possibly adrenaline dump. Pretty normal if it’s your first time doing something with high preconceived notions and expectations.
It will definitely fade if you decide to go back up, the instructor should have just kept it very simple and not inundate you to enjoy the experience. Give it another go.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Went for my intro flight a few days ago and I’m still processing the after effects. I wasn’t particularly nervous, in fact I had an absolute blast up there, although it really was a firehose of information and I was claw gripping that yoke when they handed me the controls. It was a totally surreal and unique experience and I wanted to go back for more as soon as we logged that first half hour.
Now, one of my main concerns before going in was nausea or motion sickness, which thankfully didn’t happen during the flight at all.… however, after we were done I drove away and went to work out, slowly noticing that I was TOTALLY WIPED of energy and generally feeling like my brain was fried. The nausea didn’t start until about 45 minutes later, and it lasted for hours after, and way into the night. It felt like a hangover that came in waves.
Is this at all normal? Has anyone had a weird delayed effect happen to them? I really want to go back but it took more out of me than I expected. Is it something that gets better with time and acclimation? I’m in my 30’s so it’s already a bit late and idk if it could be an age thing. Any advice?
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